Google Maps marketing guide

You don't need a professional photographer. In-the-moment shots work fine. If you're a tradesperson, show yourself and the team on the job. It proves you're a real, active business — and Google surfaces photos prominently in local listings. We've all arrived somewhere that "said it was open" and found a locked door.

You don't need convincing that good reviews matter, but detail is increasingly important. AI can now extract sentiment, pull out relevant snippets when someone asks a question about your business, and, almost certainly, the algorithm rewards reviews that show genuine effort. Encourage customers to be specific.

Set a reminder. Log in, review the details, update anything that's changed. Google rewards active listings. There are also user feedback mechanisms that let people flag incorrect info — you don't want to be caught out by those.

Think of how apps ask "enjoying this?" — if yes, they take you to the App Store. If no, they take you to a feedback form. Same logic applies here. Don't ask unhappy customers. Do ask your regulars, your loyal clients, the ones who've been coming for years. Reviews — both volume and sentiment — almost certainly correlate directly with how well you rank on Google Maps.

I've seen shops at checkout display an actual physical widget that people can scan the QR code with and it takes them to the correct place to leave a review. This is a picture I took in France. Though it's a different language, you get the idea of how it can work.

Replying to reviews signals to Google that you're active and engaged. It also shows potential customers you care. Simple as that.

People research before they go. A blurry photo isn't enough. More importantly, Google can now read menus — so if someone searches for Moules Frites near them and your menu shows that dish, you're in the results. If you're in a tourist area, upload menus in multiple languages.

First of all, this is just a given. Users will love to see what is on offer and what they can eat, however AI can identify dishes from photos with impressive accuracy. A photo of "Moules Frites" on your profile can get you in front of someone searching for exactly that, nearby.

Remember that Google Maps is also dominated by user generated content and users also tend to upload their own photos, sometimes unglamourous photos. Think of a half-eaten cheese burger that someone has snapped, so you want to upload images of meals freshly prepared just before being eaten.

Keep it professional, keep it brief. Acknowledge the experience, apologise where appropriate, and offer to take it offline — a phone number or email address goes a long way. Never argue back. Even if the reviewer is completely wrong, a defensive or aggressive reply reflects worse on you than the original review. Anyone reading it will judge how you respond more than what was said about you.

Apple Maps and Bing Maps are the obvious ones — don't ignore them just because Google dominates. Beyond that, Yelp still carries real weight, particularly for restaurants, bars, and consumer-facing businesses. Facebook has its own business listings and map search that gets used more than people think. If you're a tradesperson, get on Checkatrade or Rated People. Hotel or accommodation? TripAdvisor is non-negotiable. The principle is the same across all of them — consistent name, address, phone number, and ideally photos and reviews. The more places you appear with accurate information, the more signals search engines pick up that you're a legitimate, active business.

The carosels show a range of options depending on the location and time of day. Cafes during the early hours, places for lunch during morning hours and restaurants for dinner during afternoon and evening hours, hotels to stay in tourist areas and sights to see. This is prime real estate in the app that you can win with a high quality Google Maps listing. It's a discoverability mode which your potential customers are browsing

To get listed here, you need a strong listing. This means good quality photos, good reviews and being regularly updating your profile.

A phone number is a given, people want to call. But younger customers would rather text than speak. Whether it's reserving a table, booking a slot, or a quick question before committing, WhatsApp is often the fastest way to make that happen. An email or contact form on your website is fine but nothing beats the speed of a WhatsApp message for them and for you.